The Mammon Philosophy

Dunno how I managed to miss this one, must’ve had something to do with my seething rage at the press yesterday. But Reggie Fils-Aime said yesterday that the big N was focusing on more user-generated content. Yeah, so I guess they like the whole “make your fanbase work for you” strategy now? Just as long as it doesn’t involve homebrew or translation patches, and I’m assuming mod chips are right out. So the real message here is “we like user-content, as long as it conforms utterly to the strict limitations of creativity that we’ve set out as the untouchable framework.” This is akin to asking someone to whistle a new chart-topping song while the oft-quoted boot continues stamping on your face forever and ever. Is that a little unfair? I guess a more N-friendly comparison would be that these grey-zone illicit activities are like driving on the wrong side of the two-way street. But I’m a safe driver, and it drives me crazy to get stuck behind a Sunday-grandma type who’s going ten clicks under the limit in a no-passing zone. Give it some gas or take the next off-ramp, Nintendo.

That said, I do eagerly await The Conduit and Madworld. Formulaic creativity through violence is definitely something I can get behind — there’s nothing I like better than a developer with an eye for more than the standard “shoot that guy” mentality.

Come on up for the waiting tonight! I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for, so I picked out a few short time-wasters and knocked back some classic gaming. First there was Bionic Commando, which has been in the news lately thanks to Rearmed and the new 3D remake. It troubles me because they gave the new commando a bionic arm. He always had a bionic arm, you say? Not so! The original game clearly shows that his “arm” is actually a sort of futuristic whip attached to his belt, putting Ladd on the same weapon proficiency tree as Simon Belmont. Bionic Castlevania would be an awesome game. Somebody should get on that.

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